News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-02-03
IN A RUNAWAY CAR.
All Due to Taking Just One Chnnce, And
NeEIectinE the Usual Precautions.
From the Toronto Globe.

| From the Toronto Globe.
Mr.. William Title, one of the persons
who were i'll the railway accident at
the Kicking Horse Pass, British Column
bia. few days ago, called upon us. His
| linn is the result of injuries which he
| received there. He was introduced as
| Mr.. William Tillie, one of the most dar-
| mo horseback riders in British Columbia.
Nine years AGO, Mr.. Tile, who is a sober
looking, middle aged Scotchman, left
his home in Perth county, Ontario, and
went to British Columbia. Last week
he started back to his native Ontario,
but in ascending the other side of the
Rocky Mountains, at the Kicking Horse
Pass. he nearly lost his life, with many
others, in the railway accident.
In order to understand the cause of
the accident it is necessary to learn the
nature of the country and the railway
track at this place Station Fields is at
the bottom of the Kicking Horse Pass
grade. The track here ascends the noun
tain from the west in a grade of four and
half miles to the hundred for eight
miles. Hector station is situated at the
top of the grade The steepcst part of
the road is about two miles from the top,
Here the grade is an inch to foot.
The precautions taken in going up the
mountain are as follows: Each train
has two engines, a small one going be-
fore, and a large one behind. The large
engine behind prevents any car bee M
ing detached and running down the
mountain 81 lie. AS a further precaution
there are in the steepest part of the
road, two miles apart, safety switches,
which are left open, so that should any
cars break loose they run off on to the
switch, which slopes gradually up inthe
| opposite direction.
MIR. Tillie left Ashcroft station, which
is in the centre of British Columbia, on
Wednesday morning at o'clock. They
made Kicking Horse Pass that night
about o'clock, after passing through
heavy snow storm, which made it hard
work for them to get through. In con.
sequence the engine run short of coal
and water. Accordingly the cars were
left upon the second safety switch while
the two engines, the little one for the
front and the big one for the rear, went
back six miles to coal up. There were
four cars on the lot, q Pullman, first
class car, a second class car, and
baggage car. The occupants were left
on the switch I'm il o'clock the next
morning, while the thermometer was
32deg. below zero About o'clock A.
NJ the tSo engines came back with an
other small engine, and the three hitched
on and pulled the Pullman and the first
class car up to the top of the mountain.
the large one being behind to prevent
accidents. After awhi the big engine
came back alone for the other two cars,
hitched on and they began the ascent.
All went safely till they reached the first
mile post from the top, passing the
steepest part of the grade. Here the
coupling apparatus connecting the
eGgine with the baggage, being affected
by the intense cold and frost snapped in
two, and the two cars broke loose and
went tearing down the mountain side, the
second-class car followed by the baggage
car cit went through us like an cleo
trio shock" said Mr.. Title. "When we
felt ourselves detached and beginning
our wild run, each turned pale"
Chow many were in the car !"
"About twenty"
Any women 2"
"No. All men. Men who had dared
all kinds of perils in the wilds of British
Columbia, each thought his hour had
come No one expected to escape. The
conductor and brakeman, in a second
were at the trakes, but unfortunately
for us the air brakes were frozen stiff
and the other brakes would not catch.
1t is impossible to describe the scene.
There was hardly time to realize the aw-
fulness of the danger which Threatened
US. Fear seemed to freeze every pulse.
There was not single cry or shout or
any expression of emotion. The pace
was terrific. 1t was like flash of light
nmg. can compare it to nothing else.
One or two tried to rise but the speed
was SO great that they could not stir off
their seats. They seemed drawn to
the seats as is piece Of steel to hugh
magnet.
'5Onlv one voice was heard to whisper
in tone of resolute despair, hang on,
and each chung to his seat as a drown
ing man clings to straw. The cars
were swaying from side to side with a
motion which felt like that of a cradle.
1t seemed an age, but it was in reality
not more than minute, from the time
that the car broke loose till they reached
the switch upon which we had lain all
night. Two miles in one minutel When
we reached the switch 1t was half closed
by the snow. Our car ran off on the
switch, but the baggage car kept right
on the main line; there was crack =
we felt ourselves for a moment in mid
air, then we were lying stunned and
wounded in mass of debris at the bot
tom of the hill among the rocks and
stumps. 1t was not yet daylight, and
darkness added to the horrors of our
condition The car was smashed to
atoms.
| found after crawling from under the
ruins that my right leg was seriously
injured, being twisted at the knee;
was otherwise unhurt. Out OF the
twenty half a dozen crawled out with
little or no injury; the rest were hurt
more or less, but the escape was a mir
acle: no bones were broken. One man
was thrown with such force that his
head went clear through stump he
died before we reached Calvary; another
died of injury to the sp ne; there
were several who were injured in the
spine One man had his right eye
knocsed into his ear; he is alive yet
We got them out and took them over to
the baggage car, which had gone only
a short way On the main track after leav-
ing us. The engine came back in half
an hour, but did not attempt to take us
up; it left us and went to the station for
help; 1t was four or five hours gone, and
during that tins we were in the baggage
car doing our best to keep the injured
I